Musical instrument.



P. `WIRSOHING. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLIUATION FILED Amm. 1910.

1,072,198. r Patented Sept. 2,1913

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P. WIRSCHING.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED Amm. 1910.

1 072,198 Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

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VW//f UNTTED sTATns PATENT onirica.

PHILIP? WIR-SCHING, OF SALEM, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WIRSCHING OBGAN COMPANY, OF SALEM, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Application filed April 6, 1910. Serial No. 553,775.

To aZZ 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PHILIPP lvlfrnscnme, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates Oenerally to musical instruments, the same being designed and arranged more particularly for use in connection with pipe organs that are adapted to be operated either manually or automatically.

Generally speaking, the object of the invention is the production of an organ having two or more manuals and novel coperating parts so arranged that any particular register of pipes in the organ may be played either manually or automatically, not only in the manual to which it may be said to naturally and properly belong, but also in any other manual in the instrument. It is to be understood that each manual of the organ is provided with a similar set of stops, so that when one stop is operated to enable its manual to play in a certain regster of pipes, the other manual may play in a different register, or, by the operation of the corresponding stop, that manual may play in the same register.

To carry this objectinto effect, my invention comprises certain arrangements of parts coperating with the several manuals and with a multiplex wind chest of novel construction, the same insuring greater general efficiency than has been heretofore obtained in instruments of this character, for the reason that any one register may be played on one or more manuals at the same time, thereby increasing the available number of combinations and consequent variations in tone coloring, by enabling the operator to use either hand to play on one keyboard in two or more manuals while the other hand is engaged in playing other keys.

Further objects of the invention will be set forth in the following specification, which is descriptive of the construction shown in the accompanying' drawings, in which,-

Figure l represents, more or less diagrammatically, parts of a manually and automatically-operated pipe organ, the same being in transverse section through the wind chest, the intermediate stations, the manuals, the self-playing mechanism, and the intermediate connections, said view being taken on the line l-l of Fig. 3. The valves in the wind chest are shown in various positions of operation-the righthand section showing the normal position. Fig. 2 represents, on a comparatively enlarged scale, one compartment of the wind chest, the same being taken on a transverse section through one pipe or partition bar, and showing the two stop chambers in said bar, the valve-actuating pneumatic motors in said stop chambers, the valve for controlling the release of the pipo wind from the pipe bar, and the connections whereby the said valve may be actuated by either of said motors; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on the line 3-3 of F ig. l, the same being a longitudinal section and showing one end of the wind chest, a surmounting stopbox extending transversely across the wind chest and one of the intermediate stations, the latter appearing in elevation.

Taking up a fuller description of the invention as shown in the drawings, and refer-ring to the parts shown by reference characters, l and 2 indicate, respectively, the'keys of the first and second manuals, the same being operatively connected with their key valves la and 2a, said valves guardingindividual ducts lb and 2b, respectively, in the valve bars lc and 2, as shown. The ducts 1b and 2b communicate directly with their respective intermediate stations 3 and 4 by way of action tubes ld and 2d, for purposes well understood by those skilled in the art. Vhile it is desirable to use these sub-stations and, for certain kinds of work, such stations are necessary, it will be understood that, in its broader aspect, my invention is independent of such stations.

Adjacent to the pivotal points on the key valves l and 2a, the said ducts 1b and 2b are provided with auxiliary vents 1e and 2e, respectively, said vents being under control of the automatic player mechanism, indicated in Fig. 1. This automatic player mechanism comprises a spool-house 5 having a removable glass panel 5a, which is adapted to close said house so as to render the same substantially air-tight in order that the house may be filled with air under pressure. Within the spool-house is t-he tracker bar 5", the

same having a double line of tracker passages 5 and 5d, with which coperate a perforated sheet, the same being wound from the supply-roll 5e onto the take-uprroll 5f, all of this mechanism being of well known construction and for purposes well understood. Leading from the tracker passages 5c and 5d are individual action tubes v5g and 5h, respectively, communicating directly with a double membrane bar 6. This membrane bar is also of ordinary construction, having independent through passages 6 and 6b that are guarded by the individual membranes 6 and 6d, respectively, both of said membranes being flanked by suitable pressure chambers 6e and Gf, whereby the said passages may be opened or closed, depending upon the presence or absence of pressure upon one side of said membranes in the chambers 6e or Gf, as is usual in such cut-orf devices. In direct communication with said passages 6a and 6b are small motor pneumatics 6g and 6h, respectively, the same being equipped with valves 6 and 6j which guard the auxiliary vents 2e and 1e aforesaid in the valve bars 1c and 2e as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Thus, it will be seen that the automatic operation of the valves Gi and 6i is the equivalentof the manual operation of the key valves 1a and 2, respectively, and that, in either event, the effect upon the intermediate stations 3 and 4lis the same. Each of the said intermediate stations is equipped with the usual primary and secondary pneumatics, and with double valves controlled thereby, said pneumatics being indicated at 7, 8 and 9 'and being shown in their normal positions in station 1. l/Vhen these pneumatics are vented through their communicating tubes 11 or 2?, as hereinbefore described, the positions of the valves are reversed, such reversed position being sho-wn in station 3, the pneuinatics in the latter station being vented by the valve 8i, which is shown in its operated position.

The intermediate stations 3 and 4l are connected to the bottom board o-r closure 10 for the wind chest, the said bottom board being of double construction, having two setsV of independent parallel grooves or channels 10a and 10b, the same running transversely across said board in different horizontal planes, the grooves of the lower set 10a communicating with intermediate stat-ion 3, and the grooves of the upper set 10b communicating with the station 4. Surmounting said bo-ttom board 10 are combination compartment and pipe bars 11 in parallel arrangement, said bars extending the full length and forming the partitions bet-Ween the compartments of the wind chest- It will be understood that each o1" these pipe bars is provided with pipes comprising a vregister of the organ, and that each manual of the organ has a stop for causing the register of said pipe bar to be in condition to play. 1t will also be Vunderstood that the operation of the same named stop or stops in the other manual or manuals will cause this same register of ypipes to be played through the same pipe bar. These results are secured by the particular construction or" the pipe bar, which construction will now be described.

Each bar 11 is provided with `a series of angular pipe lducts 12 near its upper edge, said ducts communicating with the respective pipes of the register belonging to that pipe bar. The ducts 12 in each pipe bar open into a constant pressure compartment 18, which is formed in the wind chest between the adjacent pipe bars 11, said compartment being guarded by a pipe vvalve or pallet 14 that is pivotally mounted upon a rock lever 15, said lever being within the compartment and ulcruin'ed at 16 on the inner face of the bar having the duct 12 that is under control of the said valve. The opposite end of the rock lever 15 is elted and is adapted to cushion upon a bumper 17 on the said pipe bar. Below the lever 15 is a secondary lever 18, the same being rulcrnmed at 19 on the inner face of the bar 11 and 'guided near its free end by a stationary pin 20, said lever being felted at its extremity and there adapted to engage the lowermost end of the lever 15, for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

In theopposite or outer 'face of each compartment or pipe bar 11 are upper and lower stop channels 21 and 22, (see Fig. 2), the same extending substantially the entire length of the wind chest. These stop channels ar'e formed within the contines of the pipe bars 11,*a`nd are bridged or inclosed by panels 23 which are securely fastened to the said bars. Each 'of these channelsconnnunicates through a passage ror windway 24 directly with a stop-box 25, the same being of ordinary construction and preferably placed upon the top board 26 of the wind chest at one end of the latter, as shown by Figs. 1 and 3. The stop-box 25 is equipped with the usual primary andV secondary pneumatic motors and coperating double valves 27 and 28 which are under direct control of the stop-knobs, said knobs, as is usual, being arranged adjacent the key board of the organ.

As appears from Fig. 1, each pipe bar 11 has two sets of pneumatic motors and valves inthe stop-box, the numbers of such sets for e'ach bar depending upon the number of manuals in the organ. It will be understood, therefore, that if the organ be furnished with three, four or more manuals, a corresponding number of sets of such motors and valves will be provided in the stop-box for each pipe-bar, and each set will control its respective stop 'channel in said ban The drawings showing two of such sets, the

motors in the set controlling the stop chamber 22 are designated 28 and 27, while the corresponding sets controlling the stop channels 21 are designated 280 and 270.

`With the motor 28 shown in Fig. 3, the same appearing near the right-hand end of Fig. 1, there is connected a tube28, the same leading'to a valve bar 28b thatis located adjacent the manuals. This valve bar has an air passage 28c therein and leading out-v wardly, the outer end of said passage being controlled by a valve 28d. The valve is lifted by a stop-knob 28e that is suitably guided in stationary parts of the organ, said knob having a cam 28t that cooperates with a similar cam 28g on the valve so that, when the knob is drawn, the valve is lifted, the pressure released in the tube 28,the motor 28 corresponding thereto operates, and the stopchannel 22 is vented. In a similar manner, and through corresponding connections, the motor 280 is deflated when the stopknob 280e is drawn, such action resulting in venting the stop-channel 21. The stopknobs 28E and 28()e bear, of course, the same label or caption, since they control the same pipe bar, 11. From this it follows that any register of ipes may be played from either manual; anld, as will hereinafter appear, the same register of pipes may be played at one time from all of the manuals for which a stop corresponding to that pipe bar has now operated.

lVithin each of the stop channels 21 and 22, and within the confines of each bar 11, is located a series or set of pneumatic motors 29 and 80, respectively, there being one set of motors for each manual, either of which motors may, at the will of the operator, be caused to unseat the corresponding valve pallet 14. These valve-actuating pneumatic motors are, by preference, rectangular in form, having raised ends and a depressed hase that is secured directly to the pipe bars, and each base is perforated centrally at 31 so as to form a feed hole that communicates directly with its respective supply duct 32 or 88 that leads to the grooves 10a or 10b in the bottom bo-ard of the wind chest. The motors 29 and 30 are each further provided with a membranous air-tight covering 34, upon the outside of which is a non-flexible reinforcing plate 35. Upon the inside of the membranous cover 34 there is centrally secured a padded pallet 36 that serves the double purpose of insuring a silent return of the motor pneumatic to its seated or normal position after each vibration and of covering or packing the supply duct to guard against and effectually prevent leakage from the stop channel through the membranous cover 34 into said supply duct. Projecting inwardly from each of said pneumatic motors 29 and 80, through the corresponding pipe bar 11, are pull wires 37 and 88, respectively, the

wire 37 being secured to the rock lever 15 and the wire 38 being secured to the secondary lever 18, as best shown by Fig. 2.

While, as stated, the drawings show an organ having but two manuals, in which case but two stop channels with their contained pneumatics and their corresponding `leversis'provided, it will be understood that` additional manuals and corresponding additional stop channels may be provided, in which case the additional stop channels would each have its corresponding series or set of pneumatic motors which would be connected to a series of levers corresponding to the levers 18 but being adapted, upon operation, to compress all of the levers 18 and 15 coperating therewith, so that the same register of pipes may be played from any one or all of the manuals.

The foregoing being a description of my invention in one practical form of construction, its use and leading points of advantage will now be briefly set forth. v

It being assumed that the interior of the spool-house 5, the intermediate stations 3 and 4, all of the compartments 13, all of the stop channels 21 and 22 and the stop-box 25 are normally charged with pipe wind under suit-able pressures from a source of supply, not shown; that all key valves 1n and 1b and all automatic valves 6i and 6j are seated, like those appearing in connection with the second manual; that all pneumatics and valves 7, 8 and 9 of both intermediate stations 3 and 4 occupy positions as indicated in the intermediate station 4, and that all the motor pneumatics 29 and 30 are deflated, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the present drawings, then the withdrawal of any stop-knob 28e in the set of stop-knobs belonging to the second manual operates, through the stop-box 25, to vent the corresponding stop channel 22 and to thus render the corresponding register of pipes available. Depression of any particular key in the second organ manual results in lifting the corresponding key valve 2a and in venting the corresponding duct 2b, with the effect of reversing the position of the pneumatic valves?, 8 and 9 belonging to that key in station 4. This instantly charges the corresponding communicating groove 10b of bottom board 10, as well as its lateral supply ducts 33 in communication with the interior of all pneumatic motors 30 communicating with that groove, that motor 30 that corresponds to the key depressed and is located in the stop channel 22 from which the pressure has been relieved, being inflated, while the motors 3() in the remaining stop channels connected with said groove remain deflated owing to the fact that the pressure in their stop channels has not been relieved. Such inflation of the pneumatic motor 30 instantly operates upon the secondary lever 18 and rock lever 15 to unseat the corresponding pipe valve 14E, whereupon the inrush of pipe wind is relieved of its pressure so that Vthev de-l pression of a key in the first ma'nual, operating through the intermediate station 3 and the corresponding groove 10a, operates to inflate the pneumatic motor 29 corresponding to the depressed key and to open the same valve 14 so as to cause the same organ pipe to speak. Thus, it will be particularly noted that any individual pipe b elonging toV any predetermined register of pipesmay be controlled directly from its corresponding key upon the lirst organ manual or may be similarly controlled from the 'corresponding key of the second organ manual when t-hecorrespending stop belonging to the second manual is` drawn, whereby all the advantages of a multiflex wind chest are obtained in4 a most e ective and simple manner. It will alsobe noted that the structural arrangement and combination of parts hereinbefore described results in a very compact 'structure, and in a material economy of space, this oftentimes being a factor of the greatest importance in organ construction. Moreover, 'as has been set forth, by mere multiplication of the component parts hereinbefore described, other organ manuals and their corresponding Inechanisms'v may be added Without increasing the width of the wind chest. v

JAttention should also be particularly directed to the aforesaid construction and 'resulting action of the valve-actuating motor pneumatics 29 'and 30. It being assumed that a stop has been drawn, 'each depression of a manual, key causes the corresponding motor controlled by that stop to be iirst inflated and then, upon the release of the key, to be instantly returned to its normal collapsedv position, as best shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings., During its inflating movement, the outer reinforcing plate 35 insures an even Vmotion within the comparatively limited space of its particular sto-p channel without the `possibility of undue outward bulging at the center of the motor, while, during the second or collapsing movement, said motor is cushioned upon a padded pallet 36 for thetwo-fold purpose of insuring silence and of eifectually closing its valve duct 31 to prevent the possibility of leakage from they normally-charged stop channel through the membranous motor cover to the supply duct leading to the 0frooved bottom board.

The action hereinbefore described in connection with the manual operation is clearly suited to automatic control as shown in the Vdrawings, practically the only difference by the act of closingy the said panel, as is usual/in structures of this character when acting under pressure as distinguished from an exhaust system. Free passage of the wind through membrane bars 6 is now established, as usual, by touch of` a suitable piston or switchfnot shown, at the keyboard of the instrument, and a consequent relieving of the pressurefrom behind membranes 6c and 6d. YThereupon, the registration of a note perforation or perforations in the note sheet with its appropriate passage or passages in the tracker bar 5b, instantly results in'iniiating, through action tubes 5*car and 5h, the corresponding miniature pneumatics 6g, 6h, whereby their valve pallets 6i and1 Gj are lifted and the corresponding intermediate stations are vented, as described in connection with the manuals.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: y

l. In a musical instrument, the combination with a plurality of manuals, of a register of musical pipes, a pipe bar having a series of ducts therein, there being one duct for and communicating with each pipe ofthe register, a valve for each duct controlling the air communication to its respective pipe, a series of channels in said pipe bar, there being one of said channels for each manual, a pneumatic motor in each channel for each of the said valves, means connected with each cf said motors for operating its respective valve, a stop box, and means controlling said box, whereby one or more of said channels may be vented to permit the motors therein to operate upon the depression of the corresponding keys in the corresponding manuals. l

2. In a pipe organ the combination of a plurality of organ divisions, awind-chest having pipe-wind compartments, pipe bars forming the opposite walls of said compartments, an independent channel in each pipe bar for each organ division, a stop box for exhausting said channels, a pneumatic motor for eachpipe in each of said channels, a valve for each pipe, and means for controlling each Vof said valves from either of said motors, substantially as described.

3. In a pipe organ the combination of a plurality of organ' divisions, a wind-chest having pipe-wind compartments, pipe bars forming the opposite kwalls of said compartments, an independent channel in each pipe bar for each organ division, a pneumatic ymotor for each pipe in each of said chanico nels, a Valve for each pipe, and a system of levers for controlling each of said valves from either of said motors, substantially as described.

4. In a pipe organ, the combination, with a plurality of organ divisions, of automatic player mechanism for operating any or all of these divisions, a Wind chest having pipe wind compartments, pipe bars forming the opposite Walls of said compartments, an independent channel in each pipe bar for each organ division, a stop box for venting said channels, a pneumatic motor for each pipe in each of said channels, a valve for each pipe, and means for controlling each of said valves from any of said motors.

5. In a pipe organ, the combination, With a plurality of manuals, of pipe bars having a plurality of channels therein, means in each channel for speaking each organ pipe of the pipe bar, and stops venting these channels whereby the corresponding manual may play the organ pipe o'f t-his pipe bar.

6. In a pipe organ, the combination, with a plurality of manuals, of pipe bars, an independent channel in each pipe bar for each manual, a stop boX for venting said channels, a pneumatic motor for each pipe in each of said channels, a valve for each pipe, and means for controlling each of said valves for either of said motors related thereto.

7. In a pipe organ, the combination, with a plurality of manuals, of pipe bars, an independent channel in each pipe bar for each manual, sets of stops associated with the respective manuals, means controlled thereby for venting said channels respec* tively, a pneumatic motor for each pipe in each of said channels, a valve for each pipe, and means for controlling each of said valves for either of said motors related thereto.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aliix my signature in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

PHILIPP WIRSCHING.

Witnesses H. W. YOUNG, H. O. STANLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

